Space Eagles  a oneshot
by Ladylaconia
Summary: Concept short for a crossover of epic proportions I've been pondering. Shepard and his ancestors must work together to fend off the Reaper threat. Summary sucks. Leave a review please! :


"This test will confirm whether or not your bodies are fit enough for you to be useful on this mission, and exactly how developed these special skills of yours are," Miranda said with forced patience.

Five pairs of dark eyes locked on her. She couldn't help but marvel how similar they were, how each man resembled the next enough for them to pass as close family. Of course the Lazarus Project had had to make do when it came to the genetics - given the extreme throwback DNA they were dealing with - but each subject was uniquely different, not in the least bit a clone. Which made the resemblance even more eerie when one considered that each test subject had, to be blunt, literal centuries between them.

"An obstacle course?" Subject Four - Desmond - asked, scratching at his short hair. He kept it trimmed close to his scalp, exposing some of the cybernetic scars leftover from the regeneration process. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"A _Cerberus_ obstacle course," Miranda said with a bit of smugness in her voice. "Trust me, there are more booby traps in that single stretch than you'd find in most advanced-level Alliance special forces simulations. Including Spectres, Shepard."

Ari Shepard raised an eyebrow. As did Subject Two. Ezio crossed his arms and his eyes flicked over to get another look at the course. Miranda could practically see the gears turning in his head; like all the subjects, Two had an unusually high IQ, coupled with genetics that were nearly on par with her own. All of them were physically exceptional and mentally acute. Just what Cerberus needed.

"Intimidation won't work with us," Subject One muttered, more of a scoff than anything. Miranda narrowed her eyes. Altair was one of the most focused people she had ever seen in her life - from the moment his mind was functional, he knew exactly what he needed to do and wasted no time doing it.

"Our ways instruct us to anticipate the unexpected and realize the impossible. Do not worry - we will not fail you. I understand what's at stake, as do we all," said Subject Three. Like Altair, Connor was quiet and focused, but he lacked Altair's borderline arrogance. In its place was a calm acceptance of life and the drive to move forward. Miranda approved.

"If the stories are true and you Assassins are as good as Spectres, then we've got nothing to worry about," Shepard remarked, glancing from ancestor to ancestor. Altair had his arms folded and was looking out the viewport at the stars, Ezio was idly glancing over at an attractive Cerberus technician, Connor had his hands at his side and was analyzing the course, and Desmond kept shifting his weight.

Miranda had expected them to have the same gravity as old men, considering they had lived and died centuries ago. At first they had been hesitant, confused, despairing the strangeness of this new world. But they had adapted, and were still adapting, regaining what she assumed were traits from their earlier years. Their emerging personalities were certainly quirky, to say the least.

The Lazarus Project wasn't just about bringing Shepard back. Shepard was just a piece of the puzzle - an important piece, but not a standalone trophy. To push back against the Reaper threat, Cerberus needed those who understood the Pieces of Eden, the last remnants of an ancient stand against galactic destruction. Those who came before - Protheans, prehistoric humans, it didn't matter - they had left humanity the means to defend against oblivion, and Cerberus had gone the extra mile to ensure that defense came to fruition. They had raised the dead; the genetic memories embedded in Shepard's DNA, coupled with painstakingly accurate genetic reconstruction, had brought his ancestors back to life. The Assassins had returned.

And she wasn't going to let them just stand around eyeing the female crew's derrieres. "Ezio. You said your advanced Eagle Vision has come back - oh, what did you call it?"

The Italian seemed to come out of a trance and looked at Miranda demurely. "Eagle Sense, _bella_," he said smoothly.

"That's First Officer Lawson to you," Miranda replied, voice tinged with exasperation. "As for the Eagle Sense, well, that is a good sign. Now on to the test." She gestured at the course. "As I said, it's rigged to deter your progress in nearly every way. Keep that in mind."

"One last question before we climb your little playground," Desmond spoke up. "Back when you were talkin' about those Reaper things, you said they use some kind of hypnosis to brainwash people into obeying them. That's what the Pieces of Eden can do… I mean, maybe I'm just stupid here, but it's a little confusing. Are we trying to fight fire with fire, or what?"

"That question has been in my mind as well," Ezio added, brow creasing. "I know there is much about this new world I do not understand yet, but I do know this for certain: the Apples' power can be used for great evil. If there is an explanation for your reasoning, I would be grateful to hear it."

"Yes," Altair grunted. "As would I."

Connor and Shepard just nodded.

Miranda allowed herself a small smile. "Alright, I suppose I do owe you that bit of information," she sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "My theory is that the Pieces of Eden were intended to put populations into a mentally controlled state to prevent Reaper indoctrination - perhaps a sort of anti-Reaper programming."

Ezio made a low "ahhh" sound, while Altair and Desmond's heads perked up. Connor remained impassive. Shepard was extremely interested.

"Control is a Templar goal," Altair growled. At the word Templar, all the subjects bristled.

"Survival is humanity's goal," Miranda shot back, ever confidant. "If Cerberus can figure out what the Protheans' plan was, how they actually intended to use the Apples to achieve their goal, we may have a shot at preventing another apocalypse."

"It makes sense," Shepard said, stepping toward Miranda. She was grateful for his support, more than she liked to admit to herself. "But let's just focus on the task at hand for now - we can worry about who's right and wrong after we've figured out whether we can still run and jump. Let's get cracking."

Miranda watched from behind as they approached the obstacle course, as technicians fitted them with Infiltrator armor. The Illusive Man would be interested to learn how their different personalities were sure to affect the mission. She would fill him in on their progress, and then go about planning their next move.

"You mean we don't get hoods?" she heard Ezio complaining as she walked to the observation platform, and she couldn't help smirking.


End file.
